Motive means for pickling and washing apparatus.



INVENTOR Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

am 1 9 l L 1 1 m An T Sm E L M F R G I T A nu I L P P A MOTIVE MEANS FOR PIGKLING AND WASHING APPARATUS.

WITNESSES GEORGE MESTA, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR PICKLING AND WASHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed September 11,1913. Serial No. 759,401.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE MESTA, a citizen of the United-States, residing .at Pittsburgh, in the-county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,- have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motive Means for Pickling and Washing Apparatus, of which, thefol-l'owing is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a pickling and washing apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a. cross section through the lower cylinder on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to pickling and Washing apparatus of the general character: described and claimed in Patent-s Nos.- 484,664, October 18, 1892; 602,686, April 19, 1898; and 935,619, September 23,- 1909,'and is more particularly an improvement upon certain features of the apparatus claimed in said patent No. 935,619.

The object of the=present invention is to improve the arrangement of the, base of the machine, whereby the-use of'securing bolts is-;obviated. It has been ascertained that these securing or foundation bolts soon become eaten'out bv acid and 'can not be relied upon.

A second object of my invention is to rotect the lower end of the piston rod om injury by dirt or from the acid used in the pickling rocess.

A thir object of my invention is to provide, in connection with such protecting device means of simple and eflicient character for balancing a portion of the dead weight of tliemovingmechanism of the machine, and thereby effect a saving in motive power.

Other objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 2 designates the vertical single-acting cylinder of the machine having therein the piston 3, secured tothe-piston rod 4. 5 is a spider secured to themppei'end .of the piston rod and provided with any desired number of arms in which are suspended the usual crates 6. 7 designates the pickling and washing vats from which the crates are actuated. These parts are, in general, the same as in my previous patents above referred to.

In accordance with my present invention,

the cylinder, and His a suitnble'packing above said bushing. 15 is asimilar packing seated in the lower head of the main cylin der 2, which cylinder is shown as being supported by a suitable base 16, resting on'the base'inember. Said base member is also shown as having a pluralityof radially arranged strengthening ribs 17, which extend downwardly around the c linder 9 and which are embedded in t e foundation. Two of these ribs are provided with a-pi )e or conduit 18, opening into the bottom of the cylinder and rovidi-ngmeans, respectively, for the intro uction of air,-steam or other fluid pressure and for the wing out of excess pressure, water of con ensation, etc. This cylinder is designed to be tilled with steam, air or other elastic fluid through one of these pipes sufiicient to=balance a considcrable portion of the dead weight of the moving mechanism of the machine, thus very considerably reducing the quantity of thesteam required in the main cylinder for the operation of the machine. This pipe may beprovidedwith any suitable pressure valve 19. The other pipe is preferably provided with a relief valve 20, which can be set to open at any desired prexure and which forms meansfor the-escape of excess pressure, as well as of water of condensation,.etc.

It should be noted that in my invention the balancing of dead weight is not accomplished by gravity action, but by the pressure of an elastic fluid. This feature is. essential for the success of the balancing, because a very quick desoent'of the, pickling plungencrates and pickled material is essential for proper pickling. If counter weights or a water column were used for connterbalancing, the moving mass would be considerably increased. Since downward acceleration is the'quotient of unbalanced force and total moved mass, such downward acceleration would be reduced too much, if the counterbalancing were attempted by a force which adds considerable mass. Steam or air pressure in the bottom chamber furnishes the desired force with practically no addition of mass' The base member with its cylinder can be securely bedded within the foundation without the use of foundation bolts which are soon eaten off by acid. The cylinder 9 also forms a complete protection for the lower end of the piston rod 4. It will also be noted that in the arrangement shown, the lower bearing for the piston rod is partially within the foundation, so that lateral strains and thrusts are transmitted directly to the foundation. thus largely preventing.

vibration of the apparatus. The foundation also acts as an efiicient protector againstthe act-ion of acid on the bearing member.

It will be obvious that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims. Thus, the balancing cylinder instead of being located in the base may be arranged in various different ways, and many other changes may be made.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a main cylinder, a piston rod working therethrough, and a base forming a support for the cylinder, said base having an elongated bearing for the iston rod below the main cylinder, a supp emental cylinder into which the piston rod extends below said bearing, and means whereby an elastic compressible fluid under pressure may be supplied to said supplemen tal cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a main cylinder, a piston rod working therethrough, a base member having an elongated bearing for the piston rod below the main cylinder, a supplemental cylinder forming a part of said base member and into which the piston rod extends below said bearing, and means whereby an elastic compressible fluid under ressure may be introduced into the supp emental cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a vertical main cylinder having a piston therein, a piston rod working through said cylinder and formed with a downward extension, a. foundation, and a base member embedded in the foundation and having a bearing for the lower extension of the piston rod, said base member also having a closed cylinder mto which the piston rod extends, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a main cylinder, a piston therein, a piston rod working through said cylinder and having a downward extension, a foundation, a base member seated in said foundation and having strengthening ribs, said base member carrying a bearing for the lower extension of the piston rod and also a cylinder within which said extension is inclosed, and a conduit extending through one of the strengthening ribs and communicating with the lower portion of the last named cylinder, substantially as described.

In apparatus of the character described. the combination with a main cylinder, :1 piston therein, a piston rod working through said cylinder and having a downward extension, a foundation, a base member seated in said foundation and having strengthening ribs, said base member carrying a bearing for the lower extension of the piston rod and also a cylinder within which said extension is inclosed, and conduits extending through two of said ribs, one of said conduits having a relief valve, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a. vertical cylinder, a piston rod working therethrough, a load-supporting member carried by said rod and its piston. and means for utilizing an elastic compressible fluid to balance a portion of the load on the piston; substantially as described.

7. In apparatus of the character dcscribcd, a vertical actuating cylinder, a'piston working therein, a member adapted to support a variable load carried by the piston, an auxiliary balancing cylinder arranged to act upon a member connected with the piston, and means for supplying said cylinder with an elastic compressible fluid; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. MESTA.

Witnesses:

Geo. B. BLEMING, A. F. Tmnn'rrs. 

